UNC’s defense enters the new season with a lot of questions hanging over it, and the betting market isn’t exactly making things clearer.
Last year’s unit became a kind of litmus test for the bigger Belichick era at UNC. For some fans, every sign of progress felt like proof that the coach long associated with winning had already started to change things. For others, the sight of opponents moving the ball so freely was a warning sign that the skepticism around his final two seasons in New England had been justified.
Now a lot of that defense has moved on through graduation or the transfer portal, and the Tar Heels are back in evaluation mode as the group goes through its second year of installation.
The books have TCU favored by 7.5 points, with the over-under set at 47.5. That projects something in the neighborhood of a 28-20 final. Oddsmakers also have the Horned Frogs pegged for 398.5 yards, despite the fact that they’re breaking in new QB Jaiden Craig and new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis.
That’s where the debate gets interesting.
One view says Craig is walking into a brutal first test. He has never played against FBS competition, much less a P4 opponent, and now he’d be doing it against a coach with a reputation for defensive brilliance. In that version of the story, UNC’s defense comes out sharp and leaves Craig looking like he had no idea what was coming.
The other view is a lot less flattering for the Tar Heels. No defensive coordinator, three new starters in the secondary, and a bunch of young players scattered throughout the depth chart add up to a unit that could spend the night chasing the game. In that scenario, UNC is always a step late and TCU keeps finding space.
So where do you land? Do the Horned Frogs clear 28 points?
Can UNC keep them under 400 yards? And is this defense about to look brilliant, or badly exposed?
In Other News...
Paul Finebaum Just Turned Up The Pressure On Bill Belichick At UNC
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The timing only sharpens the attention around UNC, which is headed to Dublin, Ireland, to open against TCU. For a program trying to reset its footing under one of footballs most famous names, the trip offers an early chance to change the conversation - but it also means every detail around Belichicks start will be examined even more closely. [Read more 🡒]
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For UNC fans, that kind of standard is part of the appeal. Malone appears to understand the history he has inherited and the pressure that comes with it, setting the tone around more than just wins and losses. The real test will be whether that daily urgency translates into the kind of consistency that can put this team in position to make a Final Four run. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs Quarterback Decision Could Create An Offseason Problem
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Miles O'Neill's situation is one to watch beyond this season because the Tar Heels are not done adding talent at the position. Travis Burgess is on the way in, and if Edwards Jr. holds onto the job, O'Neill could be squeezed by both the roster traffic ahead of him and any coaching changes that follow. For North Carolina, it is the sort of quarterback puzzle that can look manageable in August and become much harder to sort out once the offseason starts turning again. [Read more 🡒]